(a) No individual shall make, and no candidate for the office of Mayor on his or her own behalf or committee on behalf of a candidate for the office of Mayor shall accept, any contribution which exceeds a total of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) per individual contributor per calendar year in support of a primary and regular election combined, or a primary and special election combined.
(b) No political action committee shall make, and no candidate for the office of Mayor on his or her own behalf or committee on behalf of a candidate for the office of Mayor shall accept, any contribution which exceeds a total of seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7.500.00) per political action committee per calendar year in support of a primary and regular election combined, or a primary and special election combined.
(c) No individual shall make, and no candidate for the office of a member of Council on his or her own behalf or committee on behalf of a candidate for the office of member of Council shall accept, any contribution which exceeds a total of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500.00) per individual contributor per calendar year in support of a primary and regular election combined, or a primary and special election combined.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision in this section, no political action committee shall make, and no candidate for the office of member of Council on his or her own behalf, or committee on behalf of a candidate, shall accept any contribution which exceeds a total of three thousand dollars ($3,000.00) per political action committee per calendar year, in support of a primary and regular election combined, or primary and special election combined.
(e) No corporation shall make, and no candidate for the offices of Mayor or member of Council shall accept on his or her own behalf or committee on behalf of a candidate for the offices of Mayor or member of Council shall accept from a corporation, any contribution in support of a primary and regular election combined, or a primary and special election combined.
(f) Notwithstanding the provisions in divisions (a) and (c) of this section, no candidate on his or her own behalf or committee on behalf of a candidate, shall accept, from any City of Cleveland employee a contribution that exceeds a total of one hundred dollars ($100.00) per individual employee per calendar year in support of a primary and regular election combined, or a primary and special election combined.
(g) The limitations set forth in divisions (a), (b), (c), and (d) of this section apply to aggregate gifts during any given calendar year. A contributor may make a contribution up to the applicable limit in each of any three (3) non-election years as well as the year of the election.
(h) In the case of an appointment to fill a vacancy in the office of member of Council, or the office of Mayor, the contribution limits provided for in this section shall apply to the election campaign period for such office.
(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, there is no limitation on the amount of personal funds that a candidate may make to his or her own campaign.
(j) This section shall apply to any contributions made to a candidate or committee, whether used by the candidate or committee to finance a current campaign, to pay deficits incurred in a prior campaign, or otherwise.
(Ord. No. 105-16. Passed 2-8-16, eff. 2-9-16)